Saturday, November 04, 2006

Holy Infant so tender and mildSleep in heavenly peaceSleep in heavenly peace

My daughter had a sleep over last night. She and her friend traded Neopet cards, ate pizza and popcorn, and with no effort at all convinced her brother to be boy-sterous. She and her friend did finally “sleep”. But kids don’t really sleep at sleepovers. It has that name only to assuage the parents into allowing them to do this event. I went to bed at midnight, so I await their waking for news of their unadulterated bedtime. My son had a goal of 2 am. He was determined.

Sleep in heavenly peace. A Christmas entreaty and certainly one to which all parents can relate. Somewhere once I read parental advice that counseled parents to look in on and at their children sleeping at least once a night. Not for the child’s well being, but for the parents. The deceleration and quiet slowing that descends upon a child when they are sleeping is medicine for a weary parent. Their lashes fringe their cheeks, their hair muddled up askew, one arm thrown indiscriminately upon their pillow, their stuffed creatures of the night held next to their face, this a gift, the sudden inhalation of pride and love.

Your breath catches for a moment in the darkness and you know forgiveness, empathy, beauty and a pull stronger than any steel or rock and as timeless. All fortified with a kiss of remembrance and yearning for the moment to continue forever, all the while you can’t wait for morning.